BOOSTERS, ANNUAL VACCINATIONS LIKELY, OFFICIAL SAYS

LONDON A COVID-19 booster in the autumn and then annual vaccinations are very probable, britain’s vaccine deployment minister said on Sunday as countries race to administer injections in the face of new variants.

britain has already injected over 12 million first doses of COVID-19 vaccines and is on track to meet a target to vaccinate everyone in the top most vulnerable groups by mid-february.

Among coronavirus variants currently most concerning for scientists and public health experts are the so-called british, South African and brazilian variants, which appear to spread more swiftly than others.

“We see very much probably an annual or a booster in the autumn and then an annual (vaccination), in the way we do with flu vaccinations where you look at what variant of virus is spreading around the world,” Nadhim Zahawi told the bbc’s Andrew Marr Show.

britain reported on Sunday a further 15,845 cases and 373 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to official figures.